ISURAVA

STATION 14

The vital delaying battle

Men from the 39th Battalion returning to base camp after their gallant fighting withdrawal from Isurava.(AWM 13288)

After the fighting withdrawal from Deniki on 13 August 1942, the 39th Battalion consolidated its position at Isurava located higher up in the mountains on a ridge with the deep Eora Creek to the east and dense jungle slopes to the west.

Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner took command on 16 August and for several days there were only minor patrol skirmishes, while the Japanese gathered their strength for a major offensive. On 19 August Brigadier Selwyn Porter arrived in the forward area to command Maroubra Force, which included the 53rd Battalion holding the rear position at Alola.

Isurava: Close up shot of the men’s feet. (AWM 13290)

On 23 August Brigadier Arnold Potts, the Commander of the 21st Brigade, assumed command from Porter. Brigadier Potts decided that his 2/14th Battalion would relieve the exhausted 39th Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Key and Lieutenant Colonel Honner realising the seriousness of the situation suggested to Brigadier Potts, the commanding officer of the 2/14th Battalion, that the 39th Battalion should remain, to which he agreed. On 26 August the Japanese began their offensive which was engaged and held up by the patrols forward of Isurava and across Eora Creek to the right. The leading elements of the 2/14th Battalion began to arrive at Isurava on the evening of 26 August.

2/14th Battalion on the way to Isurava and immortality, many of these young officers and their men died in the savage fighting few days later.(AWM PO525/11/106)

The next day the Japanese mounted major and sustained attacks against the Isurava position which continued throughout the next day. By this time Lieutenant Colonel Key had taken command of the position as his battalion took the brunt of the Japanese attacks. On 29 August the position became even more desperate and Japanese advances were thrown back by determined counter-attacks. In one of these attacks, Corporal Lindsay Bear killed 15 of the enemy until he was wounded, then handing his Bren gun to Private Kingsbury who carried the attack forward, restoring the position; he was killed and his award of the Victoria Cross was posthumous. Corporal Bear was also recommended for the Victoria Cross but was awarded the Military Medal

Corporal Charles McCallum accounted for 40 Japanese, using both Bren and Tommy guns, and was also recommended for the Victoria Cross but received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Kingsbury, Private Bruce Steel

2/14th Australian Infantry Battalion, A.I.F

29th August 1942, Isurava, Papua (Posthumous Award)

CITATION: In New Guinea, the Battalion to which Private Kingsbury belonged had been holding a position in the Isurava area for two days against continuous and fierce enemy attacks. On 29th August, 1942, the enemy attacked in such force that they succeeded in breaking through the Battalion’s right flank, creating serious threats both to the rest of the Battalion and to its Headquarters.

Kingsbury, Private Bruce Steel

To avoid the situation becoming more desperate it was essential to regain immediately lost ground on the right flank. Private Kingsbury, who was one of the few survivors of a Platoon which had been overrun and severely cut about by the enemy, immediately volunteered to join a different platoon which had been ordered to counter- attack. He rushed forward firing the Bren gun from his hip through terrific machine-gun fire and succeeded in clearing a path through the enemy. Continuing to sweep enemy positions with his fire and inflicting an extremely high number of casualties on them, Private Kingsbury was then seen to fall to the ground shot dead by the bullet from a sniper hiding in the wood.

Private Kingsbury displayed a complete disregard for his own safety. His initiative and superb courage made possible the recapture of a position which undoubtedly saved Battalion Headquarters, as well as causing heavy casualties amongst the enemy. His coolness, determination and devotion to duty in the face of great odds was an inspiration to his comrades.
(London Gazette: 9th February 1943.)Save

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A living memorial

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a living memorial and a principal site of commemoration honouring all those who fought for Australia during World War II.

A principal focus is on the sacrifices made during key Papua New Guinea battles which took place in 1942-43 along the Kokoda Track, at Milne Bay on the south-eastern tip of Papua, and at Buna, Gona, and Sanananda on the northern coastline.

The Walkway covers more than 800 metres from Rhodes Station to Concord Hospital in Sydney’s inner-west, and runs along the mangrove-studded shores of Brays Bay on the Parramatta River.

At the centrepiece are magnificent granite walls bearing photographic images of the Kokoda campaign. There are 22 audio-visual stations along the Walkway, each describing a significant place or military engagement. The Walkway has been planted with lush tropical vegetation simulating the conditions of The Kokoda Track.

The Centenary of ANZAC and the GREAT WAR

July to December 1917

European Theatre

Sept.– Nov. Third Battle of Ypres (Belgium)

British forces planned to break through the strongly fortified German defences enclosing the Ypres salient, a protruding bulge in the British front line. There were a number of fierce separate engagements. Only small advancements were possible in the saturated terrain, and the hoped for breakthrough never eventuated. Australian divisions participated in a number of key attacks:

Sept. 20 Menin Road Belgium

Sept. 26 Polygon Wood Belgium

Oct. 4 Broodseinde Belgium

Oct. 9 Poelcappelle Belgium

Oct. 12 Passchendaele Belgium

Three successful pushes – Menin Road, Polygon Wood and Broodseinde – in September and early October steadily drove the Germans back to the top of Passchendaele ridge. Through October and into November, wet weather and sheer exhaustion meant further attacks became hopelessly bogged down. Though the final ridge was eventually gained, continued penetration of German positions proved unachievable. Losses were horrendous on both sides. During the five-month campaign, almost half a million men were lost. The fighting in these weeks cost the Australians another 38,000 casualties.

Middle East Theatre

Among the many battles that took place in the 2nd half of 1917, there is one name that stands out above all others in the desert war involving Australian mounted forces:

Beersheba (Palestine) Oct. 31

The battle of Beersheba took place on 31 October 1917 as part of the wider British offensive collectively known as the third Battle of Gaza. The final phase of this all day battle was the famous mounted charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. General Grant gave the order personally to the 12th Light Horse Regiment: “men you’re fighting for water. There’s no water between this side of Beersheba and Esani. Use your bayonets as swords. I wish you the best of luck”. The capture of Beersheba enabled British Empire forces to break the Ottoman line near Gaza on 7 November and advance into Palestine.